A Bee's Perspective - Volume 1
by BEtheLEAF44
Summary: An insight to Blake and Yang's relationship throughout the show. Note: I am trying to follow the show as closely as possible but I've also used inspiration from RWBY Chibi and the mangas. P.S. This is my first attempt at writing, so please be kind.
1. Chapter 1

Blake Belladonna sat aboard a state of the art airship gazing out of one its large windows. She and the other passengers were all prospective students heading for Beacon Academy. This prestigious school was located in one of the Kingdoms of Remnant called Vale, and it was highly regarded for training teams of Huntsmen and Huntresses to protect people from the countless Grimm that scourged their world.

Though the view of the river below her was spectacular, she barely noticed as she mulled over her controversial past. She needed this fresh start the school offered to her, it gave her a chance to finally do something good in the world.

Her thoughts took a hiatus when a 2-D animated news screen appeared announcing the nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick 's recent robbery and escape. Her eyes rose in shock as the screen displayed the next news coverage of a Faunus protest turning dark due to the organization called the White Fang. It was this organization that she dedicated her young life to until she went rogue, and the reason why she needed a new beginning.

The news broadcast didn't have a chance to finish as a holograph of a woman named Glynda Goodwich appeared. Glynda welcomed everyone and talked about upholding peace with the knowledge they would receive from the academy. Once it ended, Blake was about to return to staring out the window and her ruminations when she noticed two students across from her. They were both girls, though one was shorter and a few years younger with short black hair and a pixie face.

The taller girl with long bright golden-blonde hair was the epitome of beauty. Blake didn't miss how some of the passengers would glance her way. She had a burning light about her that drew those in her presence, making them yearn to feel her warmth. The ex-White Fang member had seen her fair share of lovely women, but something about the stranger told her there was more to her than meets the eye.

Blake knew she was staring now, but she couldn't help her admiration. To her utter surprise, the blonde girl looked right into her eyes. Curious pools of lilac eyes latched on to hers and rooted her in place. Their locked gazes should have made her want to squirm or at least feel uncomfortable. However, she simply could have lingered in that moment for eternity.

Suddenly, a boy struggling to keep vomit in his mouth blocked their line of sight and the blonde and shorthaired girl watched him move to the other side of the ship. Blake took this chance to slip away without the blonde noticing and heard screams of vomit being on someone's shoe as she moved to the back of the ship.

She decided to abandon her brooding and read a book. Since she was a young girl she'd always loved reading as a blissful escape from reality. With each tale, she could immerse herself in various worlds and stories.

It wasn't long until the airship landed and the students began to leave the ship. Decidedly, she remained on board to avoid the crowd and buzz of excitement outside. When she saw that most of the students had cleared, she made her own departure keeping her nose in the book as she sauntered towards the school.

She didn't blink as an enormous explosion sounded several feet from her. A bottle rolled up at her feet and she picked it up to see the Schnee Dust Company logo on the side. Further away, she noticed the girl who was with the blonde on the airship getting reprimanded by whom she recognized to be the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. Without really knowing why, she decided to help the stranger out.

* * *

After the opening ceremony, Yang Xiao Long and the rest of the first years gathered in the barn where they would all rest for the night. She strolled past the students spread out in sleeping bags and found her half-sister Ruby writing. She abruptly plopped down next to her sister's splayed out form on the floor. Her sudden appearance startled Ruby slightly as she exclaimed in greeting. "It's like a big slumber party!"

Ruby only paused for a beat then continued to write. "Yeah, but I don't think dad would approve of all the boys though."

"I know I do!" She purred and winked to her sister as she eyed the shirtless male students across from her. When the vomit boy from earlier that day entered her sight disrupting her view, she didn't bother to hide her repulsion.

Ruby voiced her struggles with making new friends on her first day. Though Yang felt a little sorry for her for not knowing anyone, she knew Ruby would flourish once people saw how kind and caring she was. For now, the fact that she was socially awkward made things difficult, but Yang would continue to encourage her to get out of her shell.

Both she and her sister were suddenly drawn to a small flame being sparked in the corner. It was someone lighting a candle and Yang instantly recognized it to be the girl on the airship. She had caught the newcomer eyeballing her, but now it was her turn to become the inquisitive one.

Her dark hair and features were a striking contrast to her fair skin. Yang thought that she was simply beautiful; the kind of beauty that one doesn't get flaunted with. It was the kind that had depths, the more you looked at her, the more you could discover grace, intellect, and mystery.

Those compelling amber eyes had assessed her earlier that day. She wondered what evaluations the girl made of her and she couldn't help but hope they were of approval. This surprised Yang; she wasn't one to seek people's validation. She was the kind of girl that was going to be herself no matter what.

"That girl," her sister breathed dragging Yang back to the real world.

"You know her?" Yang uttered in disbelief. Her eyes darted back and forth between her sister and the girl from the airship.

"Not really. She saw what happened this morning, but left before I could say anything," Ruby answered.

"Well, now's your chance!" She grabs her sister's arm and lifts her up not wanting to miss this opportunity to talk to the dark haired stranger. Yang was a people person after all, surely her charm would help get Ruby a new friend. Who knows, maybe the girl would be her friend too. She drug Ruby's struggling form behind her and in greeting sang, "Hellooooo!"


	2. Chapter 2

Blake stood on the platform of Beacon Cliff overlooking a vast forest. The rest of the new students stood on similar platforms next to her, eager to start their first trial. The headmaster of the school, Professor Ozpin explained how they would be given teammates today. Furthermore, the first person that they made eye contact with would be their partner for the next four years.

Blake sighed. She knew the school formed teams of Huntsmen and Huntresses but she had no desire to get close to anyone. She wanted to keep her past a secret along with the fact that she was a Faunus. Having a team would undoubtedly make that difficult and besides whom could she possibly partner with?

Lilac eyes flashed in her mind. She recalled the night before and how friendly the girl had been to her. Of course she felt bad for being so curt towards Yang and her sister, but she thought she was doing the right thing by keeping her distance.

The students to her left were being launched into the air one by one. Her platform was up and she took a ready stance. The platform propelled her high and deep into the forest. Using her beloved weapon Gambol Shroud, she anchored onto a tree then landed gracefully on the ground.

Decidedly, Blake planned to seek Yang out as a potential partner. She reasoned with herself that the girl might be an exceptional fighter. However, if she were being totally honest with herself, she'd admit that something about the blonde drew her in.

Maybe it was the sunny way she attempted to make conversation with her last night. She even complimented her bow that she took extra care to tie tightly as to make sure it wouldn't become undone when she slept. _Would Yang still be cordial if she found out what I really was? A Faunus and a criminal… _Blake wondered.

She quickly explored the forest to search for Yang. In no time, it wasn't hard to spot her, or hear her for that matter. She was practically inviting Grimm or anyone around to discover her as she called out for her sister in the thicket. Clearly the art of covertness was not in this girl's vocabulary.

"Hellooooo?" Yang called out not noticing Blake's shadow pass by. The Faunus observed as the blonde was drawn to a rustling noise in some nearby bushes. The result had been two Grimm Ursa ready to attack.

The girl could hold her own Blake discerned. She was remarkably strong and agile using an aggressive barehanded fist-fighting style of fighting. Plus, she had a bit of a temper Blake learned; when a strand of hair was cut by one of the monsters, the brawler answered by pummeling the Ursa into oblivion.

The second monster reared up to attack Yang. "What you want some too?!" the blonde threatened.

Liking what she saw, Blake decisively took this chance to make her entrance. She propels her weapon and thrusts it into the monster's back causing it to collapse on its belly. The blonde is slightly taken aback when she makes eye contact with Blake's smirking form, but she quickly recovers.

"I could have taken him," Yang pointed out.

* * *

To say that Yang was surprised that Blake was going to be her partner for the next four years was the understatement of the century. Blake had a lot of layers, like an onion. An onion that had been welded inside a steel box and thrown into the great abyss… Nothing Yang couldn't handle.

Besides, the amber-eyed girl did make the first move. She literally could have chosen anyone, and here they were. "So, where are you from?" Yang asked as they make their way through the woods trying to spark a conversation.

Blake snuffed out her attempt with silence and continued to walk.

"Alright no talking about your past. Got it," Yang thought out loud. She sighed and wondered if this were going to be a repeat of their interaction last night. Maybe if she talked about a less intrusive topic. "Can you at least tell me your favorite color?" She tried but expected more reticence.

"Purple," Blake answered, momentarily meeting her gaze. "What about you?" She asked then scanned the forest for more Grimm.

Yang stopped walking, shocked that the girl actually gave an answer and formed a question. "Huh?" She managed. "Oh! Yellow."

Blake stopped and turned to face her. "Figures. It suits your personality."

"Meaning?" The blonde asked, arching her brow.

"Well… you're warm and bright," she admitted biting her lip.

Yang laughed, "My dad always called me his Sunny Little Dragon." They continued to walk side-by-side. "This is nice you know. You not giving one-word answers or scowling."

"Right… Look I'm sorry, about last night. I know you and your sister were just trying to be friendly." She crossed her arms as if uncomfortable. "It just takes time for me to warm up to people."

"Well, we've got all the time in the world," she flashed a reassuring smile. "I'm your partner now Blake, and eventually I hope I could be your friend."

"I'd like that," Blake admitted, offering a sheepish grin. "Now let's get this first task over with." The Belladonna girl looked up into one of the large trees, "Think we should go up and get a bird's eye view?"

"Good idea," Yang agreed.

The two girls reached the apex of a large tree and looked out into the lush forest. They spotted a clearing and with an old stone ruin and decided to head for it.


	3. Chapter 3

Blake placed her journal down on her bed in Team RWBY's dorm room to marvel at the sunset through the window. She was grateful for some time alone since she'd been living with three other people for almost a week and the fact that she was always in the vicinity of other students.

It wasn't that she was shy; she'd always been around a lot of company when she was in the White Fang. However, she needed some time to herself from time to time. Unlike Yang who seemed to get energized while in the vicinity of others; Blake would feel as if her energy was getting depleted. So, being alone was her way of recharging herself.

She glanced back over her journal, skimming over the notes and observations she'd made for each of her teammates. For Yang, she noted how the girl cared deeply for her sister. She was always looking out for Ruby, and lately her attentiveness extended to both her and Weiss.

For Ruby, she wrote how the younger girl had become their team leader. Blake had no qualms with this because she didn't think she was a natural leader like Ruby or even her old mentor Adam. Blake would support Ruby and be the best teammate she could for the team.

Weiss on the other hand hadn't been too thrilled to have Ruby as their leader. Remarkably the girl came to terms with it pretty quickly. Blake wasn't sure how she would get along with Weiss in the future. Weiss was the heiress to a company that had horrible worker's rights towards the Faunus. Not to mention, Blake had stolen from her family's company before coming to Beacon. So far they'd been cordial, but she needed to keep her guard up to keep her secrets at bay from the heiress… from all her teammates for that matter.

She glanced at the clock astonished it was almost 8pm. She's been alone for almost three hours since dinnertime.

The door slowly opened and Ruby popped her head in. "Hi Blake," she greeted.

"Hello Ruby," she returned.

Ruby came in and closed the door behind her. "I told Yang and Weiss we should give you some time alone," she admitted, scratching her head as if embarrassed.

Blake gave a sincere smile at Ruby's consideration. "That was really sweet of you. Thank you."

Ruby took a seat on opposite from her on Weiss's bed. "Sometimes I get the same way and just want to read a book. I get it."

"You know, you're turning out to be a pretty great leader," Blake complimented.

The shorthaired girl blushed. "Aw stop it," she replied trying to wave off the praise. "Hey so Yang, Weiss, and I are going to head to the city to watch a movie. I wanted to see if you wanted to come, but if not we totally get it."

Blake closed her journal deciding she'd had enough alone time. "I'd love to," she replied and she realized she actually meant it.

* * *

Yang lounged in her bed and passed time by playing a game on her Scroll. School had been grueling this week, so she and her team were happy to finally reach the weekend. Blake was below her out of eyesight, but she assumed that if the girl were awake she'd already have her nose in a book. Weiss sat cross-legged on the floor in front of a mirror brushing her long white hair, while her sister Ruby looked pensive staring out of their window.

Ruby jumped down from her perch to address the room, "Aaaalright Team RWBY! Today is our chance to do some team building! Anyone have any ideas for activities?"

"Who wakes up this chipper without coffee?" Weiss inquired.

Yang appreciated that her sister was trying to strengthen their team bond. They hadn't been a team for very long, and she thought her sister was on the right track. "I think that's a great idea sis," she voiced her thought out loud as she jumped down from her own bed and offered an encouraging smile.

Weiss didn't bother to look away from the mirror. "Well I'm not going anywhere until I'm presentable. I'm still in my pajamas," she pointed out.

"We all are!" Ruby grinned. "Oh! Let's make pancakes in our PJs!"

Pure repulsion appeared on the heiress's face in her reflection. "While I don't expect neither of you to understand, but I have a family name to uphold." She turned to the sisters and pointed at herself. "This face is a statement."

Ruby launched her Corgi pillow into said face causing both she and Yang erupt into a fit of laughter.

"Aw Weiss-o serious?" Yang taunted playfully at Weiss' furious glare.

To Ruby and Yang's utter surprise, the white haired girl summoned a glyph and launched the pillow through it towards them. Ruby ducked just in time, but Yang received its full force with her face.

"Oh you're on Schnee!" She roared, hurling a pillow at Weiss who was still crouched on the floor. In an instant, Blake's form took the hit at the last possible second. The clone disappeared and Yang scanned the room to find the real Blake posted at the top of her bed giving her a wink. Yang and Ruby pursued her with multiple pillow attacks to no avail.

"Blake!" Weiss called out. The heiress threw her a pillow and casted a time dilation glyph to amplify her speed. Blake became a hypersonic blur unleashing a barrage of hits on both sisters. Once the time dilation was up, Weiss continued to plant multiple glyphs around the sisters, enabling her and Blake to jump around and impel more hits.

Ruby sick of the onslaught swirled around the room as a mass of roses. Once she made it to the glyph Weiss was on the petals returned to her true form. She smacked Schnee in the back, propelling the Ice Queen right to Yang. The blonde pummeled the heiress and sent her flying to the far wall. Her limp body slid down seemingly unconscious.

"You wont like her when she's Y-angry!" Ruby beamed to her sister.

Yang returned the smile, but it soon became a look of horror once she saw Blake land a crushing blow rendering her sister unconscious. "Looks like it's just you and me!" She declared to Blake.

They launch themselves at each other, a breath away from striking one another. The dorm door suddenly swung open revealing a baffled Nora. "What in the world is going on?!" She demanded.

The two girls crash and become a crumpled mess on the floor. Yang recovered first. "Oh just some good old-fashioned team bonding," she answered, clutching her head with her hand.

They all erupt into a fit of laughter. "We were just going to head to the lounge and make pancakes… in our pajamas," Weiss announced.

"Really!" Ruby chirped, her eyes wide with joy. "Oh yeah nice Weiss is here!"

"I will cut you," Weiss threatened.

"All I heard was pancakes!" Nora exclaimed. "Team JNPR will meet you there!"

In the lounge, Weiss made them all coffee, while Yang and Ruby worked on the pancakes, and Blake set the table.

"That was really cool how you and Blake used your glyphs Weiss. I think you guys could have some sort of combo… But what should we call it?" Ruby pondered with her finger to her lip.

Weiss studied a nearby table with a chessboard. "Checkmate," she offered.

"I like it," Blake agreed.

"Yeah, everyone can have a team collaboration with cool names!" Ruby cried out excitedly causing her to flip a pancake too hard and stick to the ceiling.

They all watched the pancake fall to the counter. Yang took the spatula and plated it. "Nora will still eat it," she insisted. "I wonder what's taking them so long?"

At that moment, Team JNPR strolled through the door. "Oh we were just setting up a game we could play after we eat!" Nora answered.

"As long as it's not tag," Yang replied setting the large heap of pancakes on the table. She pointed a thumb towards Blake, "I already tried that with Blake and it's impossible."

"Oh this will be more epic than mere tag!" Nora declared. She took a pancake off the plate and bit into it.

"Hellooooo!" Pyhhra sang with a friend wave. "We set the arena up for dodge ball…"

"With Dust!" Nora finished, her mouth full of food. "It will be amazing!"

"Or extremely dangerous," Jaune protested.

"That's why it will be fun Jaune!" Nora voiced.


	4. Chapter 4

After school lunch, Blake strutted through the courtyard heading for Beacon cliff. With time to kill before her next class, she'd decided she would do some training.

"Yo Blake!" Yang's familiar voice called from behind. Blake stopped and turned to face her teammate. "Whatcha doing?" She asked as she caught up to Blake's waiting form.

"I just thought I'd do some training at the cliff."

"That sounds fun! Do you mind-"

"Hey Yang!" A boy surrounded by several people that Blake vaguely knew greeted from afar with a wave. "We're gonna hang in the lounge. Wanna join?"

"I'm cool!" The blonde answered while offering a wave of her own. "Maybe next time."

"Lame!" The boy cried out as he trailed his friends.

"Sorry," Yang amended for the interruption while turning back to her teammate. "So can I join you?"

Blake's brows drew together. "Look Yang, I don't want you to feel like you need to hang out with me because we're partners. You can go with your friends."

"Huh?" The blonde asked perplexed. "I don't feel like it's an obligation to hang out with you Blake."

"Well do you expect me to believe that training with me would be more fun to you than hanging out with your friends from Signal?"

"Yeah. I do, actually," she responded, placing her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry if I find that hard to believe," Blake stated while lifting a brow. "You're always so social and I'm just… not."

Yang chuckled putting her a little at ease. "Blake you open up with the close friends you keep and I respect that." She lifted a hand into her blonde hair to tease it out of her eyes. "Honestly, it's kind of refreshing."

Now Blake was really confused, showing as much by tilting her head. "Refreshing?"

"That's right!" Her teammate confirmed with a grin. "Look, when I was at Signal, the people I hung out with cared a lot about superficial things like: popularity, shopping, or boys. I guess I cared a lot about that too…" She trailed off momentarily looking away as if embarrassed. "Being here now, watching how hard you, my sister and even Weiss train... I guess I just want to pull my weight on the team."

"Yang…you're a strong member of the team." Blake placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I've still got a lot to learn. We all do."

Lilac eyes met her own. "Yeah well, I don't even know what your driver is but I see the determination in your eyes. Weiss has the same look, like you're both here to prove something. I don't have a motive like that. I guess… I guess you make me want to be better."

Blake blinked at that. A flood of warmth filled her veins softening her expression. "Well, you help me too you know?"

Now Yang gave her a bewildered look. "I do?"

Blake nodded and continued. "Growing up, I didn't really get to enjoy being a kid. It was all about survival and fighting for a cause. You helped me see it's okay to do fun things, even if they are superficial… like shopping."

"Well I guess we help each other," Yang smirked.

"Yeah," Blake agreed, returning a smile.

"So let's train!" Yang exclaimed pointing towards the cliff. "And this weekend we'll do something superficial," she winked. "Speaking of shopping, I saw this jacket that screams your name!"

Blake laughed. "Sounds like fun."

* * *

Yang threw punch after punch, trying but failing to hit her sparring opponent Blake. The girl had remarkable reflexes and agility. When the brawler thought she'd land a strike, her opponent would use her semblance to distract her or propel herself to unreachable distances.

After Team RWBY drilled their team attacks, she'd convinced Blake to stay behind and fight without her weapon for more practice. It was no doubt the girl was a force to be reckoned with when using Gambol Shroud, but she wasn't as defenseless as her sister Ruby when faced with hand-to-hand combat.

Yang dodged a kick, but missed a blocking a punch that came faster than thought to her face. The blonde knew her foe's aura had to be running low by now, with their lengthy team practice and tough bout of sparring. She just had to wait for an opening… There! Blake launched up into the air, flipped, and came down for a kick that Yang blocked.

She grabbed her attacker's ankle and threw her opponent to the ground. The shadow clone disappeared once it crashed but Yang was already on the offensive to find the real Blake. She found her a few feet away, slower from the continuous use of her semblance. She landed a hook right into Blake's stomach sending her flying back and landing unceremoniously to the floor.

"Uncle," wheezed the crumpled mass after a few seconds.

Yang ran to her then crouched by her side, "Hey are you okay?"

Her teammate sat up and sighed. "Nothing I can't handle," she assured. "Tell me why we're not using weapons again?"

"Because there's just something satisfying about hand-to-hand combat! Especially when bare knuckles connect with flesh!" She beamed and extended her hand to help Blake up.

"And boy did they connect," Blake joked as she stood.

"Hey you weren't half bad you know. Besides, this was good practice for me."

Confusion coated Blake's expression. "Practice?" she asked.

"Yeah. I get really frustrated with evasive opponents and you're as evasive as they get," she admitted.

"If you say so," she smirked. "You ready to get out of here? I think that punch made me hungry."

"Starving!" Yang agreed. As they made their way towards the dining hall, they passed by Team CRDL joking around outside on a bench. Yang didn't miss the way Blake and their team leader Cardin were starring daggers at one another.

"My name's Blake! I know all about Faunus history! Blah blah blah," he mocked to his friends. They snickered behind him while Cardin casted a provoking look to Blake.

"At least I'm educated. Stupidity suits you Cardin." Blake shot back.

Cardin got up, his hands clenched. He approached them and squared off with Blake. "What did you say?" He spat.

This guy had some nerve. Yang took a step forward, her eyes challenging, "Back off Cardin."

"No, you back off blondie. You're too pretty to get wrapped up in this. How about I show you my good side and take you out later." He winked.

"Not a chance. People like you are what's wrong with this world." Yang declared.

Cardin gave a mock hurt expression. "Why, whatever do you mean?"

"You're a bully. You go after people to compensate for your own insecurities. It's just sad." Yang admitted.

Cardin glowered, "I can't believe I thought you were hot. You're just a dumb bimbo bi-"

He didn't get to finish, because Blake punched him square in the face. He clutched his nose as blood dripped down his chin and hands. "Bitch!" He cried.

"Leave," Yang threatened, fists clutched to both sides in case he tried to pull a fast one. Blake stood next to her just as ready for further confrontation.

If looks could kill then Cardin's would have set them both ablaze. He backed off to his goons. "Let's go," he called over his shoulder and they followed him like the sheep they were.

"I can't believe I'm actually saying this," Yang began as they watched the retreating forms get smaller. "But, I think I'm becoming a bad influence on you."

"That guy had it coming. Besides, weren't you saying something about how bare knuckles connecting with flesh being satisfying?" Blake studied her punching hand. "I think I see your point."

Yang gave her an astonished look, "You never cease to amaze me Blake Belladonna."

Blake chortled. "So food?"

"Food," Yang agreed.


	5. Chapter 5

At breakfast, Blake sat at Team RWBY's usual table with Weiss and Ruby in the dining hall. Yang, who was normally the first one out the door, was uncharacteristically lagging behind today. She finally showed up unsteadily reaching the table without food and took her seat next to Blake. Seemingly exhausted, she laid her head on the table to rest between her arms.

"Hey is everything alright?" Blake asked Yang worriedly then casted a glance to Ruby.

Yang didn't look up from her position. "I just have a headache." Her words muffled by her arms.

"Do you want to eat something sis?" Ruby tried.

Yang shook her head no as an answer.

"I don't think you should go to class," Weiss stated, setting her finished apple down.

Blake looked back to Ruby. "I can take her to the infirmary."

"Good idea," Ruby agreed with a nod. She and Weiss stood to go to their first class. "I'll let your teachers know you'll be out."

Blake offered an appreciative smile. "Thanks."

"Hey," she coaxed to Yang placing a hand on her back.

"Hmm" Yang said finally looking up. Now that Blake got a good look at her, she could see how ill Yang looked: dark circles formed under her eyes, her skin flushed and gleamed with sweat.

Blake pressed the back of her hand on Yang's neck. The action caused Yang to close her eyes as if cherishing the touch. "Yang, you're hot!" Blake announced.

Yang dropped her head back down returning to her previous position. "Thanks. I think you're hot too," she groaned.

Blake blinked at her and felt heat on her cheeks. She was glad that Yang couldn't see how her comment had affected her. "No, your temperature. I think you have a fever."

The blonde moaned and curled herself up. "But it's so cold," she shivered.

"Let's go," Blake said clutching Yang to get up. She led her to the infirmary and they waited in one of the rooms until a nurse came.

A rosy-cheeked woman entered the room in her white uniform. "Hello ladies. What can I do for you?"

"My teammate is sick. I think she has a fever." Blake answered.

"Mhmm." The nurse hummed grabbing a thermometer. She placed it in Yang's mouth and waited for the reading. "102 F. She does indeed have a fever," the nurse agreed.

"Is there anything you can give her?" Blake asked worriedly.

The nurse stood to throw the tip of the thermometer in the trash. "Generally a fever will dissipate on it's own, they usually occur when our bodies are trying to fight off an infection. However, she'll need plenty of bed rest and fluids."

"I understand," Blake responded. She helped Yang up again and led her to the door.

"One more thing," the nurse called before they left. "If you want to try and help her break it, you can try a lukewarm shower. Be careful that the water isn't cold, as it could make the fever worse." She warned.

Blake offered a nod in acknowledgment then continued out the door. She led Yang to the girl's washroom and turned one of the shower handles to a tepid temperature. "Will you be alright to shower while I grab you a change of clothes and a towel?" She asked.

Yang nodded and Blake helped her tie up her hair before she left. She returned to hang the towel and clothes on a hook then waited in the hall. Yang stepped out several minutes later with her teeth chattering and shivering to the bone.

"Let's get you to bed," Blake said empathetically. When they reached the dorm, Blake put Yang in her own bed so she wouldn't have to climb.

"It's f-freezing," the blonde managed to say under the covers.

Seeing her normally strong teammate in such a vulnerable condition struck a cord with Blake. "I know honey," she soothed, tucking her in tighter. "Try to get some sleep."

Blake sat on Weiss' bed with a book for most of the day. Once in a while she'd get up to check Yang's temperature, but her teammate remained unmoving in her slumber. Ruby and Weiss checked in on her at lunch and brought Blake some food. It wasn't until later that evening that Yang's eyes fluttered open.

"Blake?" she called into the candlelit room, causing Blake to open her own eyes unaware that she had dozed off.

Blake sat up from Weiss' bed and stretched. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Better." Yang said, sitting up to face her. "Were you here all day?"

"For the most part." She replied, noting the circles were gone from Yang's eyes and she indeed did look better.

"Aw. Blake Belladonna actually cares about me," Yang teased.

Blake got up and checked Yang's temperature with the back of her hand, satisfied that it had gone down. "Of course I do. You always look out for Weiss, Ruby, and me. You would have done the same thing."

"Well thank you. I really appreciate everything you've done for me… honey." A hint of a smile appeared across her features and Blake found herself stumbling backwards clumsily hitting her head on the top bunk. "Hey are you okay?" Yang asked furrowing her brows.

"I was hoping you wouldn't remember that," she said sheepishly rubbing her head.

"I liked it," Yang appeased.

Blake didn't know how to respond to that but she was saved from an awkward reply because Ruby and Weiss entered their room.

"Yang!" Ruby smiled. "How are you?"

Yang smiled back at her sister. "I'm better. I had a good nurse." She nodded to Blake.

"We brought you both food," Weiss said holding up a brown bag. "The soup is for you Yang."

"Aw, you girls are the best." Yang beamed.

* * *

Yang strolled up excitedly to the rest of her team in the practice arena.

"What's got you in such good spirits?" Weiss inquired.

Yang took a heroic stance before her team. "I just convinced Ozpin to have an end of term bash in the courtyard. Yours truly is going to plan it."

Ruby jumped excitedly. "If anyone knows how to throw a party, it's Yang!"

"How in the world did you manage to sway the headmaster?" Weiss asked holding out her hands.

"Charm can go a long way Schnee," she winked.

Weiss scoffed. "You're as charming as an Ursa."

"Aw Weiss, your compliments are improving." Yang said sweetly with a mocking grin. Ruby and Blake both giggled at that. "But on a serious note, I have a proposition for you Weiss."

"Oh?" The heiress asked, her chin slightly lifting in suspicion.

"Yeah, I wanted to see if you'd plan it with me. With my artistry and your organization skills, I think it would be a hit."

Weiss snorted. "I hardly think your history of partying could be called artistry but… I think it actually sounds fun."

"Well alright!" Yang chirped.

"Any ideas for a theme?" Weiss asked.

Yang shook her head as a yes. "Out With a Bang! I'm thinking fireworks, sparklers, and maybe a bonfire."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Of course you would think of that."

**Notes: **I contemplated a looong time if Yang was capable of even being able to have a fever. I even googled it. So please bear with me and pretend she can get sick like anyone else. Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

"Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!" Blake roared to Weiss in their dorm room. The two of them had spent majority of that afternoon in a heated argument about the integrity of the Faunus in the city of Vale. The argument continued long after they left with Ruby and Yang watching uncomfortably near the door. And now, Blake spilled the secret she'd diligently hid from the whole school. Weiss casted her a surprised look and backed away slowly.

"I… I…" Blake stammered. She looked around the room unable to handle the shocked expressions of her team. She needed to get out. She needed to run. So that's exactly what she did. She dashed out the door ignoring Ruby's pleas to come back.

Outside, Blake headed towards the courtyard to a statue of a hooded woman possessing an axe, a man in a heroic stance with a sword, and a Beowolf over a fountain. She stared at the statue, wondering how she could ever have a sense or normalcy with her team now? Maybe it was a mistake coming to the school. Was she so naïve to think that she could really undo so many years of hate?

Closing her eyes, she reached up for her bow and slowly pulled the strings to reveal her Faunus trait; cat ears. A stray tear escaped and she quickly wiped it away, but more were about to follow suit.

"I knew you would look better without the bow," she heard someone profess. She turned to see it was the boy from the docks from earlier that day.

"W- what are you doing here?" Blake asked.

He offered a cheesy grin. "Oh you know, just getting the lay of the land." He used his thumb to point at himself. "Names Sun."

"Blake."

"Do you want to sit?" He gestured to one of the benches. "I'm a good listener."

"We can just sit. I'm not really in the mood to talk." She said.

And so they sat. Blake appreciated that Sun didn't say anything when a few more tears were wiped off her face. He simply waited for her to be ready.

"Okay," she whispered. She kept her eyes planted on the ground in front of her, an attempt to keep more tears from coming. "I need to find a place to stay, I can't really go back to my room right now."

"That's not a problem," Sun assured. "I saw a couple of empty rooms where the exchange students are staying when I was shown what room my team is staying in. Not everyone is here yet for the festival, so it shouldn't be hard to get you in one."

"Thanks," she said. She followed him to his side of the east dormitory and the nearby trees outside the room windows.

He began climbing one of the trees and called back down to her. "Wait here. I'll find you an empty room."

She posted up by the tree too mentally exhausted to argue that she should go with him. While waiting, she recalled his wink from earlier that day and the sudden attraction she'd felt towards him. Sun had been nothing but kind and considerate since their meeting.

"Pssst!" He called from above and pointed to the third window from the corner of the building. "I found you a room."

"Coming," she acknowledged then climbed effortlessly to where he'd pointed, opened the window, and climbed inside.

Sun appeared at the window face a moment later. "Nice moves kitty cat," he gibed.

"Good night Sun," Blake chuckled before shutting the window in front of him.

He offered a playful smile and a salute before disappearing.

* * *

Yang called Blake's name while walking down the streets of Vale with Ruby and Weiss. Ruby also made the effort to call for her, but Weiss was not helping at all. It was hard enough getting the Ice Queen to join them on the search for their teammate, so it was no surprise that she showed little to no interest in finding Blake. Deep down, Yang knew Weiss cared, but her stubbornness and pride prevented her from showing it.

Blake had been gone for almost the whole weekend after spilling her secret. She not only exposed that she was a Faunus, but that she was also part of the questionable organization the White Fang. Yang wondered what Blake's Faunus trait would be.

Yang personally didn't have anything against the Faunus and she was also no stranger to the discrimination their kind received throughout history. To her, humans and Faunus shared the world of Remnant and everyone deserved to be treated as an equal. Especially when there was a common enemy plaguing both species: the Grimm.

The fact that her partner was part of the White Fang was something she wanted to hear Blake explain. She voiced as much to Weiss when the heiress proclaimed that they should call the police to find Blake.

Then, Penny shocked them all, seemingly coming out of nowhere and complimenting Weiss' hair.

"Aaah! Penny! Where did you come from?" Ruby asked exasperated.

Penny waved, ignoring Ruby's question. "Hey guys! What are you up to?" She asked.

"Uhh…" Ruby sputtered.

"We're looking for our friend Blake." Yang answered.

"Ooooh, you mean the Faunus girl!" Penny stated, causing them all to stare at her.

"Wait, how did you know that?" Ruby asked.

"Uhh, the cat ears!" Penny said like it was common knowledge while pointing to her head.

Yang laughed in disbelief. "What cat ears? She wears a… booooow…" Realization struck her like lighting.

When Penny offered to help them look, Yang gave Weiss a 'let's get the hell out of here' look and the two slipped away without Ruby's notice. She and Weiss continued to wander the streets in search of Blake.

They entered a shop to see if anyone inside had seen her but didn't have any luck. Yang waved to the inhabitants as they exited thanking them for their help. "This is hopeless," she said turning to Weiss who looked nonchalantly out towards the street. "You really don't care if we find her, do you?" She asked.

"Don't be stupid; of course I do. I'm just afraid of what she'll say when we find her." Weiss continued to walk calling over her shoulder. "The innocent never run, Yang!"

The blonde looked down in thought pondering those words. Nearly an hour passed until she finally broke the silence. "She's pretty brave you know."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Because she can tolerate that weird girl Penny?"

Yang gave her own eye roll. "Not Ruby," she said, flashing Weiss a serious look. "Blake."

"That's not the first adjective I'd use to describe her." Weiss protested. "She's been lying to us for months."

Yang stopped walking. "Exactly. Could you imagine how hard that must have been for her? She's always trying to seem so detached, probably because she was worried we'd find out, but can you honestly tell me you don't think she cares about us?"

Weiss stopped walking but still wasn't facing her. "Look I know she's your partner, but it doesn't change the fact that she's a criminal."

"We may not know everything about her, but I think she's earned the right to be heard out. And frankly, I think she deserves a little more credit than just calling her a criminal."

Weiss finally turned to look at her. "I'll think about it," she proclaimed then turned on her heel to keep walking.


	7. Chapter 7

The warm night breeze, moonlit sky, and stunning view of Vale's city should have been enjoyable from the rooftop view of the school's dormitory. Yang however, couldn't appreciate it as she sat pensive on the ledge with her chin rested on her propped up knee. Earlier that night, just when she was starting to think that they'd never find Blake, Ruby sent her a message that Blake had been found and a location to rendezvous.

Of course Yang was glad they'd found her once she and Weiss finally showed up. Yet, something unsettled her once she learned what Blake had been doing at the shipyard. Now she sat on the roof, trying to sort out her emotions and getting more frustrated the longer she stared into the distance.

"I didn't take you for the brooding type," she heard Blake say from behind.

Yang was so caught up in her thoughts she didn't hear anyone approach. "Yeah well, I guess it's as good a night as any for it." She answered, not bothering to look at her teammate's advancing form.

"Ruby told me you were up here. Do you mind if I join you?" Blake asked.

"No," she finally said after several moments of uncomfortable silence. "What did Ozpin want?"

Blake remained standing behind her. "He asked how I knew the White Fang would be at the shipyard tonight."

"How did you know?" Yang asked, lead heavy her voice.

"Well… Sun overheard something when he was on the ship."

"Oh." She pressed her lips into a fine line as an odd pit formed in her stomach.

"Yang… are you mad because I was part of the White Fang?" Blake asked sounding small.

Yang finally tore her gaze from Vale's view to look at her teammate. She had her arms folded around herself, something she'd noticed Blake did when she was uncomfortable. The sight was enough to melt her icy resolve. "I don't care about that," she answered honestly.

Relief washed over Blake's face but only momentarily. "But you are upset?" She asked.

The blonde sighed aloud and turned away again, letting her feet dangle over the edge. "Yes."

"With me?"

Yang clutched her fists at her sides. She was taking her aggravation out on Blake and it wasn't fair. She needed to get this out before it festered and turned into something ugly. "With myself," she admitted flatly.

"What?" The Faunus asked incredulously.

"When you ran from our room, I should have gone after you. I wasn't being a good partner. I just sat there and let you go." She closed her eyes and hung her head. "Maybe if I did you wouldn't have needed help from… from someone else. I feel like I let you down."

A long quiet moment passed until Blake finally broke it. "Can you look at me please?"

Yang stood slowly to face her teammate, mirroring her stance. Her eyes rose gradually to meet ardent amber ones. Her look held a softness that Yang had never seen before, a sheer vulnerability in someone who was always so guarded and restrained. The gaze was so alluring, radiant with warmth, holding her like an embrace.

"When I first came to Beacon, I thought I was prepared for everything. But I realize now, that nothing could have prepared me for you. You're the most selfless, caring, and amiable person I've ever met, and you've encouraged me to find a strength that I didn't know I had. So you shouldn't feel like you've let me down, because you've helped me with more than you'll ever know."

All kinds of emotions bombarded Yang at once. "I don't know what to say," she admitted letting out a small smile. She took a step forward. "Can I hug you now?"

"Sure."

They embraced and Yang couldn't help how right it felt to have Blake in her arms. Time seemed to stop as they held one another on the roof and the blonde reluctantly loosened her hold to look at her teammate. "I promise the next time you need help, I'll have your back," she said.

Blake smiled. "I know you will."

* * *

"Wake up sleepyhead!" Yang exclaimed.

Blake who was in bed woke up and opened one eye to look at the clock on the wall reading 9:07am. "It's our first day of break," she groaned.

"Exactly! I've decided we're going to the beach!" The blonde declared as she ripped the curtains back. Sunlight bombarded the once dark room making Blake hiss. "Ruby and Weiss are doing something together. We should too!"

Blake threw her blanket over her head. "My cat genes are telling me to stay here for at least 4 more hours."

"Pawlease!" Pleaded Yang.

"Don't!"

"Come on it will be purrfect!"

Blake threw the blanket off her head and gave her answer in the form of a stony face.

"What? You're not feline-it?" Yang joked.

"You're insufferable," she answered unable to stop a smile. "Fine," she sighed and sat up. "Let me get ready."

The day proved to be wonderful for the occasion; not a cloud in sight. She clutched Yang tightly as they rode her beloved bike Bumblebee, relishing at the contact of being pressed up so close to the blonde beauty. And her hair smelled… incredible. She shook off the incursion of feelings that invaded her as they rode, vowing to ponder why in the world she was having them later. For now, she'd simply just enjoy this.

"Finally!" Yang exclaimed when they arrived at the beach with both arms splayed to the sides. Once they dismounted, Blake unfastened her helmet and set it near the bike. When she turned, she was surprised to find Yang smiling at her.

"Hey hold still," she said as both of her arms reached towards the Faunus's head.

Blake's fluttering heart kept her frozen in place. "W-what are you doing?!"

"Fixing your bow. It got a little loose from the ride." She answered while adjusting the bow.

She put a hand on Yang's to stop her and unfastened the bow letting it fall to the floor. This would be her teammate's first time seeing her without the disguise. As she stood there, the scrutiny of those lilac eyes made her feel self-conscious.

"It's about time!" Her teammate finally exclaimed. "I like your bow and all, but this is the real you."

"So you don't see me differently?"

A hand cupped her cheek unexpectedly. "All I see is you, Blake."

Relief coursed through her. She hadn't realized how much she cared about Yang's opinion of her. Then it dawned on her how close their proximity was along with the look of absolute pride in Yang's eyes. It was so overwhelming she blushed.

Yang removed her hand from the Blake's face and Blake immediately missed the contact. She fought diligently to not touch the spot where Yang's hand had been.

"Come on, I got the blanket." Yang said as she gestured towards the water.

"Um, I've never actually done anything like this. What do we do?" The Faunus asked puzzled.

The blonde gave her a bewildered look. "You've never just hung out at the beach?"

"Well, no."

"No worries! I'm an expert." She assured as she found a spot in the sand and laid out the blanket. "See," she said and flashed Blake a brilliant smile.

Blake stopped breathing when Yang smiled like that. It literally took her breath away. "Yeah." She exhaled, trying to get her bearings.

"Lie down." Yang motioned towards the blanket.

Slowly Blake did as she was told. She placed her hands behind her head and just lay there. She thought Yang would lie beside her, but the girl laid horizontally using Blake's stomach as a pillow. The contact made Blake freeze and a flutter erupted in her stomach. She had no idea where these reactions were coming from?

"So what do you think?" Yang asked after several moments.

_Of you being so close? No of course not… the beach! _She stammered inwardly. "Surprisingly relaxing," Blake managed. However, she could see why people enjoyed this: the crashing sound of the waves, the birds soaring around them, and the beautiful scene in general. She looked at Yang's hair and couldn't resist the urge to run her fingers though it. She combed through the long tresses, and then absentmindedly began massaging Yang's scalp.

"Wow," Yang coaxed and melted into the touch. "That's just… wow."

They laid like that for a long while and Blake reminisced about her first semester at Beacon. Whatever obstacles the future held, she felt comfort in knowing she and her team would face them together. And eventually, she'd decided that she did indeed like the beach.


End file.
